The Meaning of Leviticus 6:18 Explained

Leviticus 6:18

KJV: All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings of the LORD made by fire: every one that toucheth them shall be holy.

YLT: Every male among the sons of Aaron doth eat it -- a statute age-during to your generations, out of the fire-offerings of Jehovah: all that cometh against them is holy.'

Darby: All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It is an everlasting statute in your generations, their portion of Jehovah's offerings by fire: whatever toucheth these shall be holy.

ASV: Every male among the children of Aaron shall eat of it, as his portion for ever throughout your generations, from the offerings of Jehovah made by fire: whosoever toucheth them shall be holy.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

All the males  among the children  of Aaron  shall eat  of it. [It shall be] a statute  for ever  in your generations  concerning the offerings  of the LORD  made by fire:  every one that toucheth  them shall be holy. 

What does Leviticus 6:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 6:8-23 - Law Of The Burned-Offering
Notice well the teaching of this paragraph, which has special reference to the fire, which was to be kept always burning upon the altar. Thrice is the injunction repeated, Leviticus 6:9; Leviticus 6:12-13. As it originally descended from God, Leviticus 9:24, so it was to be ever maintained by the watchful care of the priests. It is interesting to notice that a different Hebrew word is used for the fire that burned on the great brazen altar within the sacred enclosure from that which consumed the sin-offering without the camp, Leviticus 4:12. That symbolized the wrath of God against sin, while this symbolizes His love and grace, which descend to burn in human hearts. The Apostle was very conscious of the latter when he said: "The love of Christ constraineth us." Whenever you feel the glow of that fire in your heart be sure to nurse it. Ask that it may burn hotly. See Song of Solomon 8:6. It must be fed by the continual fuel of God's Word, consumed and absorbed in meditation. But remember the teaching of the latter part of this paragraph: Only holy souls may partake aught of the Heavenly Bread. "Let a man examine himself!" [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 6

1  The trespass offering for sins done wittingly
8  The law of the burnt offering
14  and of the meat offering
19  The offering at the consecration of a priest
24  The law of the sin offering

What do the individual words in Leviticus 6:18 mean?

All the males among the sons of Aaron may eat it [it shall be] a statute forever in your generations concerning the offerings made by fire to Yahweh Everyone who touches them must be holy -
כָּל־ זָכָ֞ר בִּבְנֵ֤י אַהֲרֹן֙ יֹֽאכֲלֶ֔נָּה חָק־ עוֹלָם֙ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם מֵאִשֵּׁ֖י יְהוָ֑ה כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־ יִגַּ֥ע בָּהֶ֖ם יִקְדָּֽשׁ פ

זָכָ֞ר  the  males 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָכָר  
Sense: male (of humans and animals) adj.
בִּבְנֵ֤י  among  the  sons 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אַהֲרֹן֙  of  Aaron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
יֹֽאכֲלֶ֔נָּה  may  eat  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
חָק־  [it  shall  be]  a  statute 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חֹק  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due.
עוֹלָם֙  forever 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם  in  your  generations 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: דֹּור 
Sense: period, generation, habitation, dwelling.
מֵאִשֵּׁ֖י  concerning  the  offerings  made  by  fire  to 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אִשֶּׁה  
Sense: burnt-offering, offering made by fire, fire offering.
יְהוָ֑ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
כֹּ֛ל  Everyone 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
יִגַּ֥ע  touches 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַע  
Sense: to touch, reach, strike.
יִקְדָּֽשׁ  must  be  holy 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָדַשׁ  
Sense: to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation